The Walloon Transport Office’s Board of Directors recently met to discuss plans for future extensions to Herstal and Seraing. The projected commissioning date was set for spring 2026, with potential weather delays taken into account. However, administrative delays have already set the project back by six months.
Last August, two calls were made to extend the urban line to the north and south of the agglomeration. Four bidders were selected for the Licourt extension, with three submitting their offers in March. The winner will have 36 months to complete the project, which is outside the original timeline.
Applications for the laying of rails from Sclessin to Jemeppe station have not yet been received, with expectations for June. The contract may be awarded in January, with commissioning slated for two and a half years following.
Despite these delays, mobility has not been affected. These setbacks have not caused inconvenience to the public, unlike the ongoing work in the city center.
The Board of Directors of the Walloon Transport Office met on Wednesday, and took note of a schedule for future extensions to Herstal and Seraing. Initially, commissioning was announced for the spring of 2026, a date “taking into account the possible bad weather conditions”. But the files, which are still at the administrative stage, have already taken a big semester of delay.
Two European calls were launched in August last year to extend the urban line towards the north of the agglomeration on the one hand and towards the south on the other. In the first case, towards Licourt, four bidders were selected, and three returned their offers on the last Tuesday of March. They are now being analyzed. The auction should take place in October. The winner, from this moment, will have thirty-six months to complete the project: outside, therefore, of the time initially planned.
As regards the laying of the rails from Sclessin to Jemeppe station, the applications have still not been officially received. It is in principle for the month of June, which augurs well for the awarding of the contract for January, and commissioning two and a half years later. Beyond the first planning, therefore…
Consolation for the grumpy: these procedural setbacks, unlike the work that drags on in the center of the burning city, do not cause any inconvenience to mobility.
While the extensions to Herstal and Seraing may be experiencing some delays in the administrative process, the Walloon Transport Office is still moving forward with plans for future growth. With four bidders selected for the extension towards Licourt and applications set to be officially received for the laying of rails from Sclessin to Jemeppe station, there is plenty of progress being made. While the initial timeline may be pushed back, it’s important to remember that these procedural setbacks are not causing any inconvenience to mobility. The Board of Directors will continue to work towards growing and improving transportation options for the community.
